Thanksgiving In Brazil!

So again wow, another fast week, but awesome week.  We had more baptisms, Thanksgiving, and a birthday of one of the Missionaries that live in our house.   

I will start with Thanksgiving.   Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays ever, but Brazil doesn’t celebrate it.  I brought Thanksgiving to Brazil this year.  And let me tell you I think that this Thanksgiving was probably my favorite one.  And probably one of the best days of my life.  Here’s why, we woke up at around 6:30 and helped a family completely move out of their house.  And completely into another house.  I may not be able to speak but I for sure can help.  So I went all out haha.  I went so hard I thought I was going to pass out.  The Brazilian family that we were helping move I think had an question of why is an American here first off and second so happy to help move at 7 in the morning haha.  They were so grateful.  And I was so happy for that.  After we helped them move, a guy made a special Thanksgiving lunch for me and my comp.  Long story short about his guy that had us over, I’m not going to give details but he’s not even a member and he has had some pretty serious problems and hasn’t accepted anyone to really come over and be his friend for about two years.  But he had us over because he had a special feeling about us.  He made a whole Thanksgiving lunch specifically for me is what he said.  And he opened up to us completely and told us he wants to change his life.  He told us that we have a light about us that he wants to have.  It was an amazing lunch and conversation and so, so, so spiritual to me for some reason.

After lunch we went to one of my favorite investigator’s homes to see how they are doing.  And we walked out with two baptismal commitments.  The two girls named Estela and Estephany.  We have been teaching them for 3 months and never had the impression to ask about baptism.  So we did and they said yes.  I was so pumped because I am so close with this family.  They are amazing and I want a family like theirs when I am married.  They are family goals.  They have stuff but not much and they make the best out of what they have.  And give every time we are over there.  The amount of food and stuff they have given me is touching.  

That was my Thanksgiving, it was literally perfect.  The happiness I felt is indescribable.  You can’t experience happiness like that anywhere else.  The whole day was lead by the spirit.  And I am so grateful for that.  

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving.  I am so grateful for my family.

Love,

Elder Meyer

I have no clue how I have the capacity to love the amount of people that I love here

Another super fast week.  This week was a good week.  We had an Apostle come speak to the missionaries and a member of the 70 came.  It was Elder Remlund.  I am pretty sure he is a fairly new Apostle.  But it was amazing, not only cause it was in English but because we had a freaking Apostle speaking to us pretty much individually.  He answered whatever question we had and gave an amazing talk.  He started off his talk by saying I have 3 messages for you.  First message was “thank you for serving the Lord and being here.”  2nd message was “know that God called you here for a reason” he said when the Prophet makes the calls that if it is not the perfect call for the person he has a horrible feeling and that feeling does not leave till he knows that the call is right.  He said that if you don’t know that this call is yours and that it was made especially for you to figure it out and when you figure it out write it down then pray about it and it will change your entire mission for you.  And the 3rd message was that our President and sister love us.  And that they were called here by God and the 12 Apostles had to all agree on them to be called here.  

That’s how he started his talk, it was great.  He gave an amazing talk.  Some of the main points that stuck out to me were these:

Give a reasonable effort and have faith.  He said don’t work yourself to death.  Give a reasonable effort and have faith, I loved that because I have been working myself almost to death every day but with only little faith.  And I haven’t been seeing the results I want to see.  So I will try that.  He also talked about attitude and effort.  He said when you have a good attitude and give effort you will see miracles.  I loved that.  Man, Apostles are call from God.  I have no doubt in my mind.  

I realized a few things this week too.  That I have no clue how I have the capacity to love the amount of people that I love here.  I was thinking the other day that what if I went home when I was in the CTM, like I wanted to do with all my heart, I would not have met my two companions, I would not have met the members in the ward and stake here.  And I would not have met my investigators that have changed my heart in a complete 180 degree turn.  I have been out for about 3 and a half months and I have learned more about love, family, life and everything that literally you cannot learn at home or in a classroom.  I thank God every day for giving me just enough courage to get through those bad days.  3 months have changed me this much, I can’t even imagine what the next 20 have in store for me.  Don’t get me wrong I am still sassy and have almost my same personality, just with a little more knowledge.  And I know kinda what I want in life.  I want a wife.  

Funny story real quick speaking of marriage.  We have two recent converts that we visit every day.  They are both about 50 I think.  The girl’s name is Maria Jose and the guys name is Fransisco.  Fransisco had no idea who Maria Jose was about 5 days ago.  But Maria Jose was obsessed with him.  So, yesterday we were walking back from church with them.  And they started talking.  And now this week I think they are going to be getting married.  I am pretty sure that is what she told me.  Cause I still don’t understand much but she did a lot of pointing and seemed really excited.  She pointed to her ring finger and I made a heart with my hand and she nodded.  So I think that is a yes.  Haha, it was so cute.

Love,

Elder Meyer

Baptism on the Beach

Another week down in quase (almost) paradise.  I say almost because on Wednesday we had a baptism on the beach which was amazing.  It looks like Hawaii seriously.  But you can’t jump in and catch a wave which was so tempting (haha).  But it was a super spiritual experience for me because not only was it an awesome baptism, to watch the surroundings was perfect.  I sat there and said “there is no way this just happened on accident, our world is amazing and there has to be a God.”  You got to be some sort of crazy if you think that happened by accident.  

So that started the week off good.  The next day we had to make contacts because we have only been teaching recent converts.  So we made contacts.  We made 15 contacts in 1 hour and made 12 new investigators, names including Tiago, Anderlee, Anderson, Anderlia, Igor, Elwerson, Arthur, Tapioca and his 5 amigos.  Oh and Thalisia.  A lot of people and a lot of hard names to remember, but hey it’s all good.  So we had a lot of first lessons to be taught, I taught about how Dues e nosso Amoroso pai celestial and about the Grande Apostosia.  And my companion taught about the restoration.  All lessons went perfect.  My companion told me when I teach even if I only say a little, he can feel the power and the love of the Holy Ghost when I speak.  And he said he knows the investigators can feel it too.  I don’t know if he is just trying to be nice or what, but it sure helped me when he said that.  

A lot of ups and downs this week, but it was a pretty great week.  And I am planning on this next week being a good one too cause we have an Apostle coming, and all the missionaries in the whole mission are getting together.  And I think he is giving his talk in English!  Which will be dope and then he is speaking in my ward on Wednesday, so I get an Apostle twice in one week.  

Me and my companion read Matthew 17:15-21 and it talks about how if you have faith you could literally move a mountain because nothing is impossible with God and it also talks about fasting.  So me and my companion decided to fast for a few things.  After the 24 hour fast, 10 minutes after we broke the fast we were pretty much handed a baptism.  This girl is 25, is very interested in our church and wants to be taught more.  It’s crazy cause we literally fasted for something like that and 10 minutes later we got what we wanted.  It was great.

Love,

Elder Meyer

Serving others is key to happiness

What’s up guys.  

I didn’t write a group email last week because last week was pretty rough!  But I bounced back and had a pretty good week this week.  We had transfers this week and I got a new trainer named Elder A. Santos.  My old trainer got transferred to be a zone leader in Souza which is 9 hours away from here so that meant I was in charge for the first few days.  Cause I know the people and the area and my new companion doesn’t.  It was cool cause I actually felt important and needed out here for the first time on my whole mission.

My old companion was awesome, I learned so much from him.  But my new companion is freaking awesome too.  He speaks pretty good English and is helping me out so much.  

He’s pushing me to new limits I thought I wasn’t capable of reaching.  But I am reaching them somehow.  I had my two best days on my mission this week.  And those two days I worked harder than I ever have and I was happy with everything and everyone.  I was understanding a lot and communicating a little better.  My thoughts weren’t nearly as bad as they have been.

Me and my companion are very similar.  We both like to work hard, like the same music, same funny jokes, same food, it’s awesome.  I teach him more English and he teaches me more Portuguese.  While we are walking down the streets we sing and make remixes to songs like Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons.  Then we go and make millions of contacts.  Contacts are pretty easy here cause everyone is friendly and believes in God and searching for something to help their lives.  I don’t do much talking but I am a blonde American so they wanna stop and ask where I am from and stuff.  So contacts are pretty easy and fun.

This week I gave a lesson on Faith to members.  All alone.  I think it went well.  I asked if it made sense, and they said yes, probably just to make me feel good.  

I learned something amazing this week that my Mom and Dad told me about in an email.  Serving others is key to happiness.  I looked for every little possible chance to serve from as big as helping a guy tow his car cause he couldn’t alone, to as small as after lunches cleaning up the tables at members houses and washing the dishes.  I loved serving this week.  I faced the fact that the language won’t come easy for me like it will for others, but if I serve with my complete heart it will do a lot more than talking.  Last week I tried losing myself but it didn’t work out.  This week I am not going to lie, I lost myself in the work.  We are nothing without the Lord.  

On a funny note I am not going to show any more pictures of our family or of Bree because they tell me in the little English they know that they want to be my brother-in-law.

Love,

Elder Meyer

I get a new comp tomorrow

Hey,

How is everything going at home? Is there snow yet?

Today we have p-day with our zone!! And we are going to play soccer and volleyball and all sorts of stuff. Pdays are the best! 

(To answer some of your questions), the lulu lemon pants are my favorite.  I wear them everyday.

I am on the top bunk and I shaved my head.  hahaha. I get a new comp tomorrow because my companion is going to be zone leader!! But I will be in the same house with the APs and my new comp. 

Mondays when I email is what gets me through the week.  I hope you guys have an amazing Halloween. Enjoy it for me because they don't celebrate it here. This week was a bummer. I did everything I could this week to love the people, to study the language and to lose myself.  I spent countless hours studying and did every little possible thing I could do to serve.  Like helping someone with groceries or holding the door, giving every little kid candy.  I ended up getting sick I was going so hard. And yet after that, and pouring my heart out every day to our Father in Heaven, by the end of the week I was irritated with the people, with my companion, and the language seemed to be getting worse.  I tried everything I could to lose myself.  But I am not lost.  God knows how much I can bare. 

To top off this whole week, my favorite investigators that I got really, really close with, and we visited every day for 5 weeks straight, just disappeared.  They are in their house, but just don't answer their door or phone, and haven't gone to church for the last two Sundays.  And the girl, Dayone, I baptized, left and moved four hours away.  It's so sad because I got so close to them and their cute little kids.  And everything seemed to be going right. The boom, they are just gone. I don't get it when all I am trying to do is good. I love you guys and I am seriously the luckiest person in the world to have the family and friends I have.  

Love, 

Elder Meyer